St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School

St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School

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School History

In 1879, Father Jose Pedro Santa Anna de Cunha of St. Joseph’s Church started a Portuguese Mission parish school on Middle Road. Known as St. Anna’s School, it provided education for six children of poor parishioners. In 1886, the school was renamed St. Anthony’s Boys’ and Girls’ School. In 1894, the girls’ school, with 73 students, was separated from the boys’ school. Four Canossian sisters arrived in Singapore to run the girls’ school. The younger girls received a formal education, while the older ones learned sewing and embroidery.

In 1895, a boarding school and an orphanage were established in a new, adjoining building with Miss Mary Lemon as the head teacher. They became known as St. Anthony’s Convent in 1906. A new wing was added in 1912, and a chapel and new quarters for the nuns were completed in 1933. The school started its first Junior Cambridge class in 1935 and set up a kindergarten two years later.

During the Japanese occupation, the school became a refuge for the homeless and the sick. In 1943, the Japanese military police took over the school and the sisters were placed under house arrest. At the end of the war in 1945, the flat roof of the convent was converted into a dormitory for war orphans. In 1947, the school’s afternoon session became a charity school for poor, over-aged students.

In 1952, the wooden convent was replaced with a five-storey building, which was officially opened in the following year. A science laboratory, domestic science room, library, art and singing rooms, 12 classrooms and a covered playground were added in 1954.

In 1970, the primary and secondary schools were separated administratively and pre-university classes were started in 1971. As the school was located in the heart of the city district and at a busy road junction, the classrooms were air-conditioned in 1972 to provide a more conducive learning environment.

In 1995, the school moved to new adjoining premises as separate primary and secondary schools at Bedok North Avenue 4. The secondary school gained autonomous status in 2002.

St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary clinched the Ministry of Education’s Innergy Gold Award in 2018 for its project, ‘Igniting the Joy of Learning with Chinese GO!’. The following year, the St. Anthony’s Canossian Schools celebrated their 140th anniversary and commemorated Singapore’s bicentennial with two publications and a video.

Principals:

St Anna’s School:
- Fr Jose Pedro (1879)
- Fr Nicolan Pinto (1881)
- Ms J. McIntyre (1884)
- Ms C.M.E. Buccanan (1886)
- Ms V. Eber (1888)
- Ms Mary Lemon (1892)

St Anthony’s Convent School:
- Ms Mary Lemon (1894)
- Mother Anna Bennet (1896)
- Mother Mathilda Rodrigues (1922)
- Mother Angelina Rovera (1929)
- Mother Teresina Frisanco (1930)
- Mother Vittorio Garre (1945)
- Mother Angelica De Piazza (1951)
- Mother Rosa Baio (1954)
- Mother Pestana Wilhelmina (1960)
- Mother Natalia Tasca (1966)

St Anthony’s Convent Secondary School:
- Sr Carmen Dengah (1970)
- Sr Calista Ponnudorai (1976)
- Sr Cecily Pavri (1985)

- St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School:
- Sr Cecily Pavri (1995)
- Ms Choy Poh Chun (1996)
- Sr Cecily Pavri (1998)
- Mrs Jennifer Loh (2003)
- Ms Melanie Ann Martens (2007)
- Mdm Mak Lai Ying Frances (2014)

Key Milestones


1879	Founding of St Anna’s School on Middle Road.
1886	Renamed as St Anthony’s Boys’ and Girls’ School. Mother Anna Bennet is named principal of the girls’ school.
1894	Renamed as St Anthony’s Convent School. Arrival of four Canossian Sisters of Charity – Mother Teresa Rossi, Mother Justina Sequeris, Mother Mathilda Rodrigues, Mother Marietta Porroni – to manage the school.
1935	Start of the first Junior Cambridge Class.
1970	Separated into two schools – St Anthony’s Convent Primary and St Anthony’s Convent Secondary School.
1989	The secondary school is designated to help the hearing-impaired integrate into society.
1995	Relocation from 111 Middle Road to 1600 Bedok North Avenue 4 and is renamed as St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School.
2002	Gained autonomous status with performing arts as the area of strength.
2015	Awarded all the Best Practice Awards by the Ministry of Education.

School Motto

Via, Veritas, Vita – The Way, the Truth and the Life


Via	Way	We walk confidently and joyfully on the path of life overcoming all difficulties with fortitude and prayer.
Veritas	Truth	We are sincere in word, deed and action. We are open to truth and knowledge.
Vita	Life	We live for others, ready to share, serve and sacrifice for others.

School Crest

The school badge incorporates the crown, shield, star, book and the school motto – ‘Via, Veritas, Vita’. The shield depicts the Canossian schools’ responsibility to protect and equip the young for life. God’s crown placed above the shield demonstrates His protection of and Lordship over the school. The motto below demonstrates the foundational truth upon which the school is built. Within the shield, the rays from the Star of Wisdom are cast upon the Book of Knowledge. This symbolises the pre-eminence of wisdom over knowledge and the need for knowledge to be directed towards attaining higher ideals.

School Song

♫ Listen

United in common endeavour
At work and play, life’s lessons we learn
Our youthful hearts are filled with ardour
For truth and wisdom we yearn
Courageously with heads held high
We march ever on through life
Schooled in your spirit Canossa
For virtue, true nobility we strive
Schooled in your spirit Canossa
For true virtue we strive
Our Alma Mater, our guardian, our guide
Prepare our spirits for duty’s call
Our country to serve with virtuous might
We stand for truth and for right